Front wheel drive unit



June 7, 1932. A A, CUF-TON 1,861,594

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE UNIT Filed Aug. 22, 1950 Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES AMER-'I' A. CLIFTON, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA FRONT WHEEL DRIVE UNIT Application filed August 22, 1930. Serial No. 477,045.

This invention relates to the art of auto- Vmobile front wheel drives and particularly to means permitting 'the steering of the driven wheelsl without the employment of the heretofore-customary universal joints.

'A primary object of my invention is to provide a front axle to carry the load and through which axle the whe-els may be driven without having to provide a second load carrying axle.

A primary objectalso resides in the means .for providing a flexible drive from the axle to the wheels thereon that may be fully en- -closed and be protected from dust and` mud.

An important obj ect resides in the general combination of elements which permits a lighter weight front end structure as applied to front wheel drives.

Other objects reside in the simplicity, low cost of production, and the inherent relatively long life of the structure.

These and other objects will become apparent in the following description of the invening, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of an axle embodying my invention;

Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical section through a swivel joint on an enlarged scale.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

I employ a tubular axle 10 in the center of which is the customary diierential drive 11 from which the drive shafts 12 and 13 extend axially through the housing 10. At.

each outer end of the axle 10 is fixed a segment 14 of a hollow ball, and a bevel gear 15 is carried within the segment fixed on the end of the respective shafts 12 and 13 with v a radial and thrust bearing 16 supporting the shaft immediately back of the gear.

A king pin 17 is entered vertically through a smooth hole in the top of the segment 14 to pass freely through a bevel gear 18, screwthreadedly through the inner race 19 of a thrust bearing, screw-threadedly through a.

lock nut 20, screw-threadedly through the tion as illustrated by the accompanying drawunder side of the segment 14, to have a smooth lower end project downwardly for a distance therebelow. The upper end of the pin 17 isv slotted to be .turned with a screw driver. '.Ihe race 19 is adjusted to bring the gear 18 into proper mesh with the gear 15 and is locked in position by the nut 20. The upper end of the pin 17 is threaded to receive ytherearound a collar 21 which may enter a counter bore in the segment 14 for a distance to abut a shoulder. A lock nut 22 is carried on the pin 17 above the collar-to xthe collar in position and thus hold the pin 17 against rotation in the segment 14. v

By loosening the nut 22 and collar 21, 'the pin 17 may be turned to raise or` lower the racek 19 and hence the gear 18 to obtain the desired adjustment from without the segment. A hollow ball segment 23 is provided to fit closely about the segment 14 from the outer end and-a cupped collar 24 is brought over the segment 14 from the inner side and bolted to the segment 23 by the bolts 25 through the annular companion flanges 26 and 27 to form a ball and socket connection. Bushings 28 and 29 are carried between the segment 23 and collar 24 to receive the pin 17' slidin'gly therethrough vso as to limit the movement. ofthe segment to travel horizontally about the pin 17 as an axis and thereby prevent vertical movement. t

The segment 23 has a hollow horizontal cylindrical spindle 33 fixed thereto within which is rotatably carried a stub shaft 30 between the bearings 81'and 82. A bevel gear 31 is fixed on the inner end of theshaft 30t0 Vmesh with the gear 18, lateral adjustment of the shaft being effected by a nut 32 screwthreadedly abutting the inner race of the bearing 82 which'is also screw-threadedly lcarried on the shaft. f

The outer end of the shaft 30 extends from vthe spindle33 to enter by a tapered driving fit into the hub34 of a wheel 35.

The hub is carried back around the spindle 33 to bear thereon through a roller bearing 36, Fig. 2. A lug 37 is provided on each collar 24 to which asteering arm 38 is fixed, the outer ends of the arms being pivotally interconnected in the usual mannerby a tie rodl 39.4

K to beseen, that power applied' throu The front springs and 41 are iixed directly to the axle 10.

Between a motor 42 and the differential 11 of the axle is carried the usual transmission 43 rigidly attached to the motor in the usual manner but having a flexible but supporting connection with the axle. Immediately aheadof the transmission 43, l provide a swivel support 52 with the rear end xed. to the transmission and identical in structure with that shown in; Fig. 3, as abovede'scribed but with the pin 17 rotated ninety Adegreesto be in a horizontal position parallel tothe axis of the axle 10, and instead of a-spindle, I provide an annular ring 44 to be slidingly i receivedV and retainedwithin an annular; ref cess 'provided in therearend of the two halves -of the vdifferential housing 45 whereby" the axle'lO may rock Vrock ina vertical plane about the kring 144, suchras when( one wheel `passes over kanobstruction and kdrops'down again.

`on its ownaxis and also `AYFrom the foregoing description, it is thus Ydifferential 11 ofthe axle 10i-s transnitted by 18, andBl, the tie from swinging the wheels,

in the cusvaround' the gear 18 as' the wheel is swung.

carriedby the axle, a L to the-axle, a king pin lVlhile'l have here shownand described my invention-in theone form now bestknown tonie, it is obvious that structural changes may'be -made=therefrom without departing from the spirit' of the invention, and 1,'therefore, do not cise form, norany more by the following claims.

desire to be limited to that, prethan may be required 'ends of said two parts, a counter shaft between'the two propeller shaft'parts, abevel j lgear on the last shaft meshing with the two gears on' the propeller shaft, an 4, annular recess inthe'diiferential housing' and an annular ange `on the adjacent*l propeller shaft part assembled in said recess.

2. In a front wheel drive, an axle, a shaft spindle pivotallyV fitted about which said spindle pivots, a gear on the shaft, a .stub shaft `carried ,by the spindle, a gear onV thel stub shaft, a bearing member anda gear both centered about said pin said gear being meshed with said axle shaft and said stub shaft4 gears .and means by raising the pin for adjusting its gear with the other two.

l the-shafts 1l and-12 tof revolve the wheels U35i through the gears y 15, "iod139; preventing thrust between the gears and 'that the llvvheels'maybe swungl or steered by pulling or Y pushing on the drag 'link' arm; 46V toniaryl manner, the gear "31' being shifted carried by the spindle, and flexible driving means between said member and said shaft conlined'within said segments, said driving ymeans comprising a gear driven by said member, av gear fixed to said shaft, a bearing memz ber carried bysaid pin, a gear carried by said pin nieslied with said other gears and resting oni the-'race and lmeans :for adjusting the last gearv with the othen gearsby rotatingbthe pin to* raise. and lower thebearingmember. l

v 4. in a front-wheel'drive, anA` axle,- ashaft carried the axlefa spindle Vpivota'l'ly:fiitted to the-axle,a king pin about which-the spindle pivots having-ia; threadedE portion, a 'gear on the shaft, a stub shaft carriedlbyfthe'vspin- Adle, a lgear on the 'stub sha-ft, :ai 'gear mounted on the king pin said gear Vbeing ine'shedwitli tlie: axlev shaft! and i stub `shaft "gears, 1 afA gear bearing member -threadedly mounted onthe king pin belowv tlief king pinlgearwand raised or lowered-to adjust thegear by rotating the -king pin.

l In testimony'whereof Ilia-liix my signature.

AMERT A5 GLIFTONI *los iff; 11o

Puzo 

